Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-30

on his heavy plant and erect suitable
buildings. He has just completed his
foundry, and last Wednesday made his first
castings. The foundry has steam engine
and boiler, two steam lathes and two drills,
furnaces, mold-boxes and everything COM
plete to do any work needed in this COM
munity. He was Immediately started cast
ing patent horse power by Mr.. Beebe,
the patentee, citizen of Gridley, and on
the iron work for windmills. As only an
thracite coal or English coke can be used
in casting, he finds the freight the only
drawback to his location, but this is offset
by the freight charges on castings brought
from elsewhere. Besides he gets all the
old cast-iron of this and adjoining neigh
borhoods at lower rate than his metro
politan brothers pay for the same. A good
bed of molding sand was found on the
Feather river, so that he is greatly pleased
with his location.
BRICKMAKING.
The molding and burning of bricks is
not new industry in Gridley, whole
blocks of buildings, warehouses, etc, hav-
ing been built out of bricks burned here.
The clay is found close to or even at the
surface, by removing foot or two of the
top soil, which contains pieces of wood
and leaves. 1t Is one of the best proofs OF
the uniform distribution of the clay in
the soil that such good hard bricks are
made. Sand, which is SO necessary in
brick-making, for use in the mold boxes,
to prevent the clay sticking in the molds,
is found at the depth of six feet The
wood, live oak, which is here also at hand,
for burning, is cheap and of the best quail
lty, and the bricks which we examined
were thoroughly burned and very hard.
A kiln is now in progress of 100000, and
while most of them will be used in Grid
ley In the erection of projected buildings,
surplus will remain to supply the wants
of adjacent towns. With such advantages
bricks are made cheaper here than in any
place in the State, the cost of molding,
placing in kiln and burning being about
50 per thousand. Bricks of the same
quality are now selling in San Francisco
at the rate of $40 and Sl1 per thousand,
and are very scarce. This industry will
develop into large proportions as the town
grows and the country settles up.
Gridley has large, neat and complete
theater, built expressly for the purpose,
and rewarding its enterprising owner most
muniticently for the money he has invested
in it. 1t has frontage of 80 feet, and
runs the length of a lot to the alley 10
feet. Has high ceiling; the walls, ceiling
and windows tinted blue. Has a neat stage
with dresslng-rooms underneath, and about
20 shifting scenes. The floor is smooth.
well waxed, SO that it can be used as a
dancing hall. Chairs are used instead of
benches, and would seat, we think, up
wards of 700.
THE NEWSPAPER.
Gridley is possessed of one of the best
weekly newspapers in Northern Califor-
MIA. 1t was established some eight wears
ago by c. n. Reed, one of the live men of
the place, and to whose energy and push
the town is greatly indebted for her pros
perity and enterprise. He is young man,
about SO years old, a thorough and compe-
tent printer, a vigorous writer, true gen
tleman, man of family has a pleasant
home, and is firm believer in the great
future of his section, and works assiduously
in aid of all things that may help to de-
velop this country.
BUSINESS AND TRADES.
There is more diversity in the occupa-
lions of the residents of Gridley than one
would expect to find in a small town. In
fact, one is surprised at their number and
extent. But its people are aiming to make
1t city and the commercial and manu-
~ Nf
stock of goods carried by many of the
merchants are as large as found in cities of
ten times the population, and the arrange
ment OF the stores on business streets and
goods displayed attractively in large show
windows give the place decided metro
poiitan look. Below we give list of the
most prominent business houses and trades
Of the town:
General merchandise, 4 hardware, . /;
drugs and medicines, l boots and shoes,
|; variety stores, 2; !jewelry store, /; bar
Der shop, barber shop and baths, hot
and cold, l; butcher shop, / harness and
saddlery, ! livery stables, 3; millinery,
|; shoemaking, ,; furnishing goods and
clothing, L; merchant tailor, l furniture
and undertaken, |; tin shop |; feed
stable, l hotels, = restaurants, l; lodging
house, /; lumber yards, 2;carpenter shops,
5; saw and planning mill, barley mill, l |;
hay and feed store, l warehouses (brickJ.
3; warehouses wood, 3; hay barns (stor-
age), 4; paint shops, 3; wagonmalling and
wheelright, 3; soda and extract factory. >;
broom and brush factory, q wood yard, |:
white laundry, l; wellborers, 2; bakery.
|; photograph gallery, l. vegetable gar
den (white), l water works (private), 8;
contractor and builder, insurance agents,
3; gralu-buyers, 2 real estate agents, = !;
stationery store, dressmaking, 8: nurs-
eryman, l; bricklayers, A. plasterer, / :;
saloons, T.
In addition to the above there are offices
of the Postal and Western Union TeIe
graph Companies, Wells, Fargo and Co.'S
express, bank (brauch of Rideout & Co. J.
Grldiey Herald, music teacher, vocal and
instrumental, two physicians, one Deputy
Sheriff, two attorneys-at-law, one dentist,
a brass band Of ten pieces, string band of
four pieces, two Justices of the Peace, two
Constables, and many others.
Besides all those which are in active
'peration there is in contemplation the
erection of a. fruit cannery. Already the
fruit industry is assuming proportions to
justify one. There are immense orchards
on the Feather only few miles distant,
many orchards of from five to ten acres in
size close to the town are now in bearing.
many more are being planted, and perhaps
by next year it will prove an absolute ne
eessity in order to prevent a glut in the
market of green fruit \ brewery, too, is
in contemplation and will be erected
shortly some of the brick now being
placed in kiln are to be used for that pur-
pose.
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
The Churches, Public Schools and vari-